Kickstarter pick-up guide tells men: 'Pull out your c-ck and put her hand on it'

The online fundraising site Kickstarter came under criticism on Wednesday for giving a platform to a project encouraging men to become "modern alpha males" based on online advice that included putting womens' hands on their penises.

Feministing reported that "Above The Game," a book project proposed by Reddit user Ken Hoinsky, had raised more than $16,000 in funding as of Wednesday afternoon, far surpassing its original goal of $2,000 and seemingly ensuring the book will be published.

"It's designed to be easy to understand, quick to read and full of inspirational advice that gets people out there actually practicing and talking to women," Hoinsky said in the introductory video for the project posted on Kickstarter.

In the written project description, Hoinsky said that while some of the book's content will be original, other sections will be taken from "the best material" he posted on Reddit's "seduction" community, which he described in the video as a sub-site where "a bunch of men who are going through similar issues in their life come and exchange tips and stories and their experience and try to help each other out."

Those posts include a 9-part series that, as blogger Casey Malone reported contains this advice, since taken down, regarding "physical escalation and sex":

Decide that you're going to sit in a position where you can rub her leg and back. Physically pick her up and sit her on your lap. Don't ask for permission. Be dominant. Force her to rebuff your advances.

Pull out your cock and put her hand on it. Remember, she is letting you do this because you have established yourself as a LEADER. Don't ask for permission, GRAB HER HAND, and put it right on your dick.

In a response to a reader who commented that, "people trying to dominate other people is the source of most of the world's problems," Hoinsky, under his Reddit alias of "TofuTofu," wrote:

You're missing the key phrase "against their will."

Nothing in my post is about forcing your way on another person who doesn't wholeheartedly enjoy it. If a woman isn't into your advances you should stop, make sure she's comfortable, and move on to someone else.

Women overwhelmingly prefer men who take charge. That's just the way it is. That being said, a hugely important part of seduction is meditating on one's values and seeking partners who are compatible with them. If dominance isn't your thing, that's cool! Come up with a style that works for you.

Hell, some guys really truly identify as being submissive. Understanding that and seeking out appropriate partners who help him live a happy life makes him just as "alpha" as the dominant-in-the-bedroom type.

Hoinsky also wrote online that a key to seduction is to stay physically close to a woman whenever possible, arguing that "the greatest seducers in history" used such tactics.

"They began touching them immediately, kept great body language and eye contact, and were shameless in their physicality," Hoinsky wrote. "Even when a girl rejects your advances, she KNOWS that you desire her. That’s hot. It arouses her physically and psychologically."

The project came under fire online from sites like Feministing and Jezebel, which encouraged readers to report it for "promotes sexual assault" and calling on Kickstarter to pull both the project page and funding. Kickstarter has not issued a response as of Wednesday afternoon.

Update, 4:53 p.m. EST: A web cache of the entry on "physical escalation and sex" confirms the existence of the passage on "pulling out your cock," as well as the one on "being dominant," though in different sections. It also contains a passage labeled, "Important note on resistance":

If at any point a girl wants you to stop, she will let you know. If she says "STOP," or "GET AWAY FROM ME," or shoves you away, you know she is not interested. It happens. Stop escalating immediately and say this line:

"No problem. I don't want you to do anything you aren't comfortable with."

Memorize that line. It is your go-to when faced with resistance. Say it genuinely, without presumption. All master seducers are also masters at making women feel comfortable. You'll be no different. If a woman isn't comfortable, take a break and try again later.

All that matters is that you continue to try to escalate physically until she makes it genuinely clear that it's not happening. She wants to be desired, but the circumstances need to be right.

Update, 6:51 p.m. EST: Kickstarter emailed a statement to The Raw Story regarding both the project and the public response:

Kickstarter reviews projects based on our guidelines and the information creators share on their project pages. It's a process we've refined over four years and continue to refine daily. We strive for fair and thoughtful policies that maintain the health of the Kickstarter ecosystem.

This morning, material that a project creator posted on Reddit earlier this year was brought to our and the public's attention just hours before the project's deadline. Some of this material is abhorrent and inconsistent with our values as people and as an organization. Based on our current guidelines, however, the material on Reddit did not warrant the irreversible action of canceling the project.

As stewards of Kickstarter we sometimes have to make difficult decisions. We followed the discussion around the web today very closely. It led to a lot of internal discussion and will lead to a further review of our policies.

Watch Hoinsky's introduction video for "Above The Game," as posted at Kickstarter, below.